Tears

Despite all the negative judgements from others that can arise when tears are shed, there are benefits in crying. 

Damn, I have let go of some tears in my life. I'm unpredictable when it comes to crying, sometimes holding it in for long periods and sometimes unable to shove it down. Oddly, tears can be shed in response to any strong emotion, though I don't think I have truly cried out of happiness. Frustration, anger and sadness seem to be the big ones that trigger my crying episodes. Then again, in an overly hormonal or sentimental state, a touching commercial can cause a lump in the throat. Shit, with heartache, death or some kind of loss, staring at a loaf of bread can trigger the waterworks. Actually, in extreme situations like that, my emotions gets crossed and I'm as likely to rip someone's head off as to weep in a heap on the floor. Obviously, if pain is bad enough or chronic enough, it will get to me to shed a few tears too. Some people see crying as a weakness, but I have never thought of it that way, despite the ridicule I experienced as a young child the few times I cried in public. I have already mentioned that when I was growing up, I was the youngest in the neighborhood, and the older kids would pick on me for just about anything. While I did cry, I don't think it was anything in excess. It's was a little bit like the fat phenomenon - people called me fat or commented on my weight ALL THE TIME, but looking back at old photos, I don't see a kid who was obese or anything even close. In the end, some of the other kids claimed I was a baby or whatever, but they harassed me about pretty much everything from my clothes to my looks. It wasn't until I was a little older, when I had real friends closer to my age, that I learned not everyone is so cruel.

I'm surprised I haven't cried more the last two months, given the occasional urge to break down and sob. Part of that is knowing that I have things to do and can't really take the proper time to get the emotion out, and part of it is coping in other ways. It's also knowing that in at least two difficult situations, there's nothing I can do. Acceptance may not be an emotional release, but there's still some relief in it. Still, I bet I would be less tired if I allowed myself a good long cry.

You know what really makes me want to cry? Listening to a good tune so many times on standard radio stations that the song loses all its flavor. Then, instead of liking it, I end up hating it, because just when you think you really can't possibly hear it played one more time, the station plays it another 5 times in a 4-hour block. Sigh..so many good songs ruined.

Hummmm- I just found this and can imagining someone selling bootleg bottles of women's tears on a street corner:

"...emotional tears from women have been found to reduce sexual arousal in men. Emotional tears are made up of a different chemical component than those evoked by eye irritants and can relay chemical messages to others. The change in sex drive could be attributed to the drop in testosterone provoked by the chemicals in the tears meant to reduce aggression." 


The anti-serum to Viagra? A secret weapon in a UFC fight?  There are all kinds of possibilities.